


I Want You To

by severedfate



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, also to write a lot of kurokei kissing, i wrote this as an excuse to write kuro's sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-09-27 05:12:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9973370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/severedfate/pseuds/severedfate
Summary: Keito stops by Kuro's house to bring him something he forgot. Kuro's sister is both everything he expected and nothing he expected at all.





	1. I Looked Into Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> -title and chapter titles from Weezer's (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To  
> -i wanted to explore Kuro's sister as a character so here we are  
> -the last scout with all the Kuro angst killed me dead (i'm writing this from my coffin now) so expect some angst in the future  
> -come hit me up on twitter and talk to me about these two nerds @severedfate

Kuro had told him that his neighborhood was dangerous, but as Keito walked though, looking for the house number Kuro had given him, he was beginning to suspect that Kuro was simply being overprotective of his sister (and of Tetora, on the few occasions he’d come over).

He finds the house number, rings the doorbell, and a young girl with black hair, about middle school age, answers the door. Keito assumes it must be Kuro’s sister that he talks about so often.

“Hello,” Keito begins. “I’m looking for--”

“You must be that nerd in aniki’s unit.”

Keito pauses. From what Kuro had always talked about, his younger sister seemed to be a kind, sweet girl, and not at all someone who would rudely call him a nerd. Though you couldn’t believe everything older brothers said, if his experience with the Sakuma brothers was anything to count. “If you’re talking about Akatsuki--”

“Aniki said you were super serious, but he thinks it’s cute or whatever,” she interrupts. “Oh, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that. Hang on, I’ll get aniki for you.”

The girl leaves Keito at the door, flustered. The Kuro that he knows would never call him cute, so Keito chalks it up to a younger sibling being troublesome. He is, after all, a younger sibling himself.

The girl pops around the corner. “Oh you can come in I guess. Aniki says I’m not supposed to let in strangers but I’ve seen you on stage before. Knights is better, by the way.”

She disappears again before Keito can say anything to refute, so he steps cautiously into the entrance, removing his shoes and closing the door. He’d only stopped by to drop off the papers Kuro needed and had left in Keito’s office, but the two of them could get embroiled in long conversations sometimes, so he might as well prepare to stay for a bit.

The girl reappears around the corner, with Kuro in tow. “Hey, Hasumi. Thanks for stopping by. Sorry bout Yuka-chan, she can be blunt sometimes.”

Keito shakes his head. “It’s no problem.”

Yuka snorts at her brother. “The way you talked about your leader I thought he was gonna be cool, but he seems suuu~per boring.”

Kuro frowns. “Yuka-chan, you know that isn’t nice. Apologize.”

Yuka huffs, folding her arms. “Sorry I called you boring. I wasn’t kidding about Knights being better though.”

Kuro ruffles her hair, and she flinches away. “Yuka-chan always says that, but it’s our poster she hung above her bed.”

Yuka turns and punches Kuro in the arm, but he barely flinches at it. “Gross! I’ll be in my room!”

She disappears upstairs, stomping all the way up, and Kuro chuckles. “She only hits me when she’s embarrassed. Sorry, danna. You have those papers?”

Keito hands over the file. “I’m not certain my brother and I were ever that...violent with each other.”

Kuro takes the folder, setting it aside. “She’s getting stronger every day. Kind of makes me proud, y’know? Anyway, you want some tea?”

Keito fidgets, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. This family is certainly rowdier than he’s used to, his temple at home being typically quiet and unobtrusive. The few times he and his brother had gotten into an argument it was quickly sorted out by his parents and would usually end with both of them reciting prayers. His growing feelings for Kuro are something to consider too, and Keito isn’t sure how long he can keep going hiding it. He’s always been the type to speak his mind, after all.

“I wasn’t planning on staying long, actually.”

Kuro wanders into the kitchen, just off to the side from the entryway, and gets the teapot out. “Nonsense. It was probably a long way out of your way. Might as well stay.” Kuro gestures at the table in the kitchen, and Keito comes over to take a seat. 

There’s silence while Kuro prepares the tea, and Keito thanks him when he brings his cup over. Kuro sits down with his own cup. “Probably not the best, I’m not great at making tea.”

Keito takes a sip. The water is a good temperature, but he’s let it brew a little too long. “It’s fine.”

Keito doesn’t necessarily want to ask what’s on his mind, but the curiosity has been burning since Yuka said something to him.

“Ah, your sister--Yuka, was it?--she said something somewhat strange. I’m certain she was just attempting to mess with me.”

Kuro hums. “She’s at a troublesome age, y’know? She was probably messing with you.”

Keito feels himself flush. Right, out with it then. “She said you thought I was...cute?”

For a moment, Kuro seems to fidget a little bit and Keito has never seen a man Kuro’s size ever look bashful before. “Well, yeah. You are, a bit.”

Keito pushes his glasses up his nose. Neither one of them can look at the other. “Just a bit?”

He’s pushing feelers out, and maybe too much hope, but Keito has been enjoying Kuro’s company lately, and their conversations, and the way Kuro’s eyes crinkle when he grins….

Maybe he’s reaching out too far, as Keito isn’t even entirely sure that Kuro would be into men, and even if he were, if he would be into someone as boring as Keito. Yuka had thought he was boring too, after all, as most people did.

Kuro clears his throat. “Hasumi? Did you even hear me?”

Keito snaps out of his line of thought. “I’m sorry, Kiryu, I didn’t--”

“I said I think you’re plenty cute.”

Keito tries to fight down the heat rising towards his face. Composure in all situations is something he prides himself on. “I’m not sure being called cute makes me entirely happy.”

“Would it be better if I called you handsome?”

“Kiryu.”

Kuro scoots his seat closer to Keito. “What if I called you very attractive?”

Keito can feel the heat on his face now, and he sits up straighter. “Where is this coming from?”

“I’ve been flirting with you for the better half of the year, danna. Tetsu said I should try being more direct.”

Keito makes a mental note to do something nice for Kuro’s karate club underclassman. 

“You’ve been flirting with me?”

“Trying. Is it working?”

Kuro’s face is very close to Keito’s now. His heart skips a beat as Kuro leans in, and he’s just slid his eyes shut….

“Aniki. If you’re gonna do gross things at least go to your room so I can get a glass of water without getting sick everywhere.”

Kuro’s attention is immediately back to his younger sister, who is standing at the edge of the kitchen with her arms folded. “Sorry Yuka-chan. You want me to get you something? You want tea?”

Keito is trying very hard to slow down his heart rate before he turns around to look at Kuro’s sister. 

Yuka stares at the back of Keito’s head. “Go get me my snacks, please, Aniki. They’re in your room still.” 

Kuro’s out of the room before Keito even looks up, and Yuka sits down in the chair in front of him. “Hey. Nerd.”

Keito clears his throat, willing the blush off of his face before he looks up at the young girl. “My name is Hasumi Keito. I never had time to properly introduce myself.”

Yuka blinks at him. “I’m Kiryu Yuka. And aniki may be dumb and embarrassing sometimes but he likes you a lot so you better not make him sad or I’ll beat you up. I can do that.”

Keito almost laughs at the tiny middle schooler sitting in front of him, but her face is completely serious and it’s very likely that she could easily beat him up if she wanted to. He saw the punch she gave Kuro, after all.

“I’ll try my best. I don’t want to see him sad, either.”

Yuka stares at him for a long while before she nods. The answer seemed to gain her approval. “He deserves someone to be nice to him, for once,” she says, her voice getting smaller. “He’s a good big brother, but don’t tell him I said that. He’ll be totally unbearable.”

Keito smiles. It seems Yuka has a gentle side to her after all, much like her older brother. Keito can definitely see the similarities. “It will be our secret, then.”

Kuro comes back downstairs and into the kitchen then, looking suspiciously at the both of them. “Are you being nice, Yuka-chan?”

“Of course I am. You said this guy was super polite but he didn’t even introduce himself to me. Aniki is always going on about MY manners, so why didn’t you scold this guy?”

“It’s okay to make mistakes sometimes,” Kuro says, handing her bag of snacks over. “But you make mistakes all the time.”

“Whatever,” Yuka says, getting up. “I’m gonna be in my room so you guys can be gross or whatever.”

She skips all the way upstairs, and Keito swears he hears her humming one of the Knights’ songs along the way. “She didn’t say anything mean to you, did she?”

Keito chuckles. “No, not at all.” He glances at his phone, noticing the time. “I should probably be leaving, at any rate. Thank you for the tea.”

He begins to move to leave, and Kuro stands by with his hands in his pockets. “That’s it?”

Keito considers what he’s about to do for a moment, remembers that he’s young and it’s okay to be impulsive sometimes, and walks over to where Kuro stands. One of his hands reaches up to tangle in Kuro’s hair as he presses their mouths together in a short, sweet kiss. Kuro looks surprised when he pulls back. “Goodbye then, Kiryu. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

It takes Kuro a few moments to react after the surprise kiss, but he stops Keito at the door, kissing him again, longer this time. Kuro wraps his arm around Keito and pulls him closer, deepening the kiss. They stay like this for a few minutes, exploring each others mouths, until Keito finally breaks away. He chuckles breathlessly, pressing their foreheads together. “Where is this streak of selfishness coming from?”

Kuro grins at him in the way Keito loves, all teeth and a mischievous look, and Keito’s heart skips a beat, not for the first time Kuro’s given him that look. “I hope you like kissing, danna, because I do.”

Keito presses one, two, chaste kisses against Kuro’s lips before he pulls out of Kuro’s grasp. “I don’t have an opinion either way, but I suppose I could come to like it….with practice.”

Keito pulls his shoes back on and is gone (with one more quick goodbye kiss) and Kuro is still stuck at the entryway, remembering the way Keito had tasted.

“You’re never gonna shut up about your weird crush on the glasses nerd now, are you?” Yuka says from behind him.

Kuro turns to look at her, a fond smile still on his face. “Nah, probably not. Come on, I’ll take you out for dinner.”


	2. I Was Next To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a date at the aquarium, Kuro and Keito have a serious conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I was lying in bed last night and it suddenly hit me how close Yuka is to Ruka. Whoops.  
> -I bumped up the rating because there's a hint of spice here, and also a mention of sex

Keito was expecting things to remain normal at school between himself and Kuro, and largely, it did. What Keito didn’t expect, however, was for Kuro to corner him after practice, after their junior had already left, press him up against the wall and kiss him senseless.

They’re both breathless when they part, and Keito is pretty sure he’s bright red at this point. “Sorry, sorry danna,” Kuro says, pressing another kiss to Keito’s lips. “You looked really good at practice.”

Keito flushes again. He’s not used to anyone calling him any form of handsome. “You’re going to be troublesome,” he says, but that doesn’t stop him from kissing Kuro again. The taste of Kuro’s lips is addicting, after all, like his favorite tea but with a hint of sweetness.

“Mhm. You knew that before this began,” Kuro says, and he starts pressing long wet kisses against Keito’s neck. Keito practically melts against the wall. Good thing Kuro was already basically holding him up.

“N-No marks, you brute,” Keito says, lightly tapping the back of Kuro’s head. Kuro chuckles deeply and Keito can feel it against his skin, the rumbling reverberates throughout his chest. It sends a thrill down his spine. “How about no visible marks,” Kuro counters.

Keito shivers. Kuro is going to be the death of him, at this rate. “We’re in the practice room, for Buddha's’ sake.”

Kuro presses one more kiss right to a weak spot on Keito’s collarbone, and then pulls back to look at him. “You look amazing all flustered like this.”

Keito huffs. “And you are a heathen. Have some sort of shame, will you?” 

Kuro laughs, and kisses him again. “Hey, uh...Yuka-chan and I are going to the aquarium this weekend. Do you uh….do you wanna go?”

Keito considers it for a moment, briefly wonders if Kuro would ever be willing to go on a date without his sister tagging along. “Sure.”

Kuro straightens Keito’s clothes up, making sure he looks as proper as when he walked in. “You don’t mind my sister coming along, do you?”

“Not at all.”

Kuro kisses him again, a chaste kiss. “I’ll see you Saturday evening then?”

“I’ll see you then.”

\-----

Keito has been staring at his wardrobe, a mix of neutrals and button downs, for the better part of an hour when he picks up his phone. This is a bad idea, his brain screams at him, but he ignores that part (as he’s done most of his life) and dials the number one contact in his favorites list. 

“Keito, I was beginning to think you forgot about me! You haven’t called me in three days.”

“Hello, Eichi. I have something to tell you, first of all.”

There’s a sigh from the other side of the line. “Don’t tell me you’re going to run off with Sakuma-kun and form some weird unit again.”

Keito decides it’s best to come right out with it. He’s never been good at beating around the bush anyway. “I’m dating Kiryu. Or rather, I think I’m dating Kiryu. He’s never officially asked me out.”

There’s silence from the other end of the line. For a moment, Keito thinks Eichi might have hung up on him. “Eichi?”

“Hm? Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I was supposed to react to that. Everyone knows you’ve had the biggest crush on him for the longest time, Keito~”

Keito stares at his wardrobe again. He can probably figure this out on his own.

“So, what do you need? Do you need advice on sex? You should always use condoms, first of--”

“Goodness, nothing like that, you troublesome friend.” Keito can feel the blush reaching his cheeks again. Not as if he hasn’t thought about it, but he’d rather die than ask Eichi for advice regarding that. 

“He asked me to go to the aquarium with him and his little sister. I’m...not sure what to wear.”

“Oh, how cute and domestic. You love domestic, Keito.”

Keito remembers exactly why he should have done this on his own. “Do you have any advice for me or are you just going to keep teasing me?”

“Teasing you is always fun, Keito. Wear one of your boring button downs but leave the top couple of buttons off. Kiryu-kun will love that~”

Keito snorts. “What do you know about Kiryu’s tastes?”

“I know that he’s a man, and you have nice collarbones. Have fun on your date, and be safe~”

Keito hangs up, looks at his closet one more time, and realizes he doesn’t have any better ideas.

\----

He meets Kuro and Yuka at the aquarium, and the first think Yuka does is bound over to Keito’s side. “If I’m nice to you aniki said he’d buy me something. You can hold my hand so I don’t get lost.”

Keito takes her hand with only a bit of hesitation. “Kiryu would probably buy you something regardless, you know.”

Kuro looks offended. “She’s not that spoiled.” He looks over Yuka and Keito curiously, wondering where this came from. 

He takes Yuka’s other hand and they go off to explore the aquarium. Keito has done research, as it turns out, and every animal Yuka has a question about Keito has an answer to. It’s very Keito-like, Kuro thinks, but he also wonders when Keito became so invested in making his sister happy. He’s always been good with underclassmen, his brain reminds him.

It’s when they’re in the gift shop, Yuka taking her time picking out her gift that Kuro finally asks him. “What’s going on?”

Keito looks confused. “What do you mean?”

“You and Yuka-chan are playing real nice all of the sudden. Did I miss something?”

Keito hesitates. “Is it weird?”

Kuro hums. “I thought you two might not get along at first. I was worried, actually.”

Keito reaches for Kuro’s hand, squeezing it quickly and letting it go. “You talk a lot about her. I know how much you care for her, after...well, after everything. So I wanted to make an effort, at least. And she reminds me a lot of you, you know.”

Kuro laughs, a weight lifting off of his chest. He’s not sure he could really date anyone who didn’t get along with his sister. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing, you know.”

Keito smiles right back at him. “She only has your best qualities.”

Yuka yells at them from the back at the store. “Aniki!! Come here and stop being gross!”

\------

Two stuffed animals, a t-shirt, and several small trinkets later, they’re walking back to Kuro’s house from the train station. Keito had wanted to walk them home, and Yuka talked his ear off the whole way back, about idols, about things going on at her school, about the uncool things her brother does, and about whatever came to her mind. Keito listened attentively, even for the things he didn’t really understand.

Kuro watches over them fondly, occasionally interjecting his own comments. When they reach their house, Yuka takes off for her room, ready to find a place for her new items. She turns around before she reaches the door, looking back at her brother. “Aniki, don’t run him off or do anything weird. I like him.”

Kuro turns back to Keito, smiling. “Is a good night kiss weird, y’think?” 

Keito blushes, and curses his inability to control his emotions in times like this. “Out here? In the street?”

“No one’s around, danna,” Kuro says, and kisses Keito gently, like Keito will suddenly break in pieces, as if Kuro has suddenly realized his own strength.

It feels like hours later when they pull away, and there’s a new feeling in Keito’s chest he can’t quite describe. He wonders briefly if it’s too early to say he’s in love.

“I don’t...have the words to say how much it means to me, how you get on with Yuka-chan. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you someday.” Kuro’s voice is more fragile than Keito’s ever heard it, and it makes Keito want to take Kuro into his arms and kiss every worry away.

“You’re a good big brother, you know. She really loves you.” Keito brings Kuro’s hand up and kisses it softly.

“I wonder sometimes. I’m trying, though.”

“That’s what is most important, Kuro.”

Kuro smiles at that. “First time you’ve ever called me that, I think. So now can I call you my boyfriend?”

“Idiot,” Keito says, but it’s full of affection. “The moment you kissed me you could have started calling me your boyfriend.”

Kuro kisses him again, more of an urgency behind this kiss, like Kuro is afraid to let go. He does, eventually, and Keito feels like all of the air has left his lungs. “G’night, Keito. Sure you don’t want me to walk you to the station?”

“Honestly, I’ll be fine. Good night.”

As he walks home, Keito knows he’s going to have trouble sorting through his thoughts all week.


	3. And You Were Right There Next To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Souma finds out.

Souma is uncharacteristically silent at their next practice, and Keito pulls him aside after they’ve finished to speak to him. Kuro stands by, cleaning up the practice space.

“Kanzaki. You’ve barely said a word to us the whole time you’ve been here. You’re not having trouble at home again, are you? I can talk to your parents again.”

Souma shakes his head. His hands ball into fists, they way they do when he’s about to get angry. “Hasumi-dono, forgive me, but I think I’m allowed to be upset with you!”

Keito reels back in surprise. “Upset with me? Kanzaki, talk to me. What’s going on?”

Souma stomps his foot, much like a child throwing a tantrum. “When were you and Kiryu-dono planning on telling me about….this!” Souma gestures between the two of them.

“That we’re...dating?” Keito straightens his glasses, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. 

Souma nods. “I-I had to find out from that /disgrace/ of the marine life club!”

Kuro chimes in. “You mean Hakaze, who you’ve been spending so much time around?”

Souma whips around to face Kuro, who has a smug look on his face. “O-Only because I have no choice! I’m only doing it for Buchou-dono’s sake!”

“Do you like him?” Keito says, finding an opportunity to change the subject. He’s already coming up with a plan in his mind, to interview Hakaze for himself and make sure he’s a suitable match. “Hakaze is in my class, you know. He’s frivolous at times, but he can be serious, He could be a good match for you.”

Souma turns bright red. “W-We’re supposed to be talking about you and Kiryu-dono, not that disgrace!”

Keito folds his arms. “Okay. What would you like to know?”

Souma calms down, straightens his back and takes a deep breath. “Are you really dating?”

“Yes,” Keito says. “It’s still...new.”

“We were gonna tell you,” Kuro adds in, walking up to the both of them.”We talked about it.”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. You’re so...old-fashioned, sometimes,” Keito continues. 

Souma bites his inner cheek, and the expression he wears reminds Keito of a small child. He really is their son, sometimes. “I know about men liking other men, Hasumi-dono.”

“Sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, Kanzaki. We’re still working things out.” Kuro rubs Souma’s hair, and Souma flinches from it. Keito quickly pulls a comb out of his pocket and fixes it. 

“If you’ll excuse me Hasumi-dono, Kiryu-dono. I must get to club activities now. Congratulations to the both of you. I wish you happiness,” Souma says with a bow. 

Keito nods. “Run along.”

\-----

Keito’s been finding himself hanging out at Kuro’s house more often now, that he knows where it is, and that they’re dating. It’s much easier to reach than Keito’s house, first of all, and Keito finds himself enjoying Yuka’s company more often than not.

He walks home with Kuro, but Kuro has business to take care of today, he says, but it won’t take him long, so that leaves Keito and Yuka alone. He watches Yuka work on homework today, her feet swinging as she’s not quite tall enough to reach the floor yet. When she gets about halfway though, she sets her pencil down and stretches. “Break time! Keito-san, do you think aniki will let me have candy for break?”

Keito hums. “Well, he can’t say no to you. But you probably shouldn’t, or you won’t want dinner.”

Yuka pouts a little. “Okay. I’ll just have water.”

As she goes to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, a picture catches Keito’s eye. He walks over to pick it up. It’s the Kiryu family, but Kuro and Yuka are much younger, and there’s a woman that Keito’s never seen. She has black hair, just like Yuka, but her smile is gentle. He assumes it must be their mother.

“Aniki doesn’t talk about kaa-chan much,” Yuka says, returning with her glass of water and causing Keito to look back at her.

“You look a lot like her,” Keito says, setting the picture down. Yuka sets her glass of water down on the table and picks the frame up. “Everybody says that, but I don’t remember much about her.” 

Keito isn’t quite sure how to touch on this topic with Yuka. He’s been around death his whole life, but in his experience, everyone handles it differently. Keito has always had no problem talking about it, thanks to Eichi, but Yuka is a young girl.

“I remember she used to sew bunnies on all my stuff,” she continues. “Now aniki does it. He says it’s because I like them, but I think he just wants a reminder of kaa-chan.”

Keito contemplates for a moment. “I was taught since I was young that hardships are a part of life, and something we must deal with. I think it’s nice to have a reminder of the good things, so we can remember fondly.”

Yuka nods, setting the picture down. “Do you think aniki misses her a lot?”

“He doesn’t talk about it much, but I’m sure that he does. But big brothers are always supposed to show you their cool sides, so that their younger siblings don’t have to worry about it.” He offers a small smile to Yuka, who returns it.

She seems satisfied with that answer, and throws her arms around Keito in a hug. “Thanks, Keito-san. Hey, can you help me with something on my homework? I know you’re super smart!”

\-----

They’re in Kuro’s room later, curled up together on Kuro’s bed and Keito has found a piece of paper to sketch on when Kuro brings it up. “I heard you and Yuka-chan talking earlier, a little bit.”

Keito sets down his pencil, and turns his full attention towards Kuro. “Did I overstep?”

Kuro shakes his head, but remains silent. There’s a few tense moments while Kuro thinks of what to say. “It’s hard to talk about.”

“I’m….admittedly probably not the best person to speak to about death. Eichi and I have had his funeral planned out since we were children.”

Kuro shakes his head again. “Sorry. Someday.”

Keito takes Kuro’s hands into his, feels the rough calluses, and presses his lips against them. “I’ll be here.”

Kuro is silent for a moment, staring at Keito when he suddenly pulls Keito on top of him, letting him straddle his hips and get comfortable. “How are you always so damn patient?” Kuro growls, and his hands some to rest on Keito’s thighs, near his knees.

“Meditation,” Keito says, and Kuro chuckles at him. His fingers are drawing small circles on Keito’s thigh and it’s distracting. “I could teach you about Buddhism, if you’d like.”

Kuro sits up on his elbows. “You could kiss me instead. That sounds more fun, honestly.”

Keito hums. “That does seem to be more interesting…”

Keito leans down and slots his lips against Kuro’s, pressing against them insistently. Kuro’s arms slide around Keito, dragging him closer until their chests touch and Keito’s entire world stops for a moment, the only thing that matters being Kuro’s lips against his, his warmth pressed against him.

When they part after a few minutes, Keito lays his head against Kuro’s chest, listening to his heart beat. Kuro runs his fingers through Keito’s hair, and it’s silent for a few long moments before Kuro speaks up. “Can you stay?”

Keito presses his face closer against Kuro’s chest, breathing in his scent. “Yes. I...don’t have anything, though.”

“You can borrow some clothes. Or whatever you need.”

“Okay.” Neither of them move for a long while, and everything is okay.


	4. Then The Conversation Stopped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have nothing to say for myself

It’s a few weeks later when Keito finds himself out not with his boyfriend, but with his boyfriend’s little sister, for ice cream.

“Aniki is getting really annoying and overbearing lately,” Yuka tells Keito while she enjoys her ice cream. “He’s always going on and on about how proud he is of me. It’s embarrassing, especially in front of my friends.”

Keito takes another bite of his ice cream, then sets down his spoon. These outings are becoming more common for them, when Yuka wants to get away from the house. Keito agreed to take her shopping today while Kuro had things to take care of. “My brother was that way, too.”

Yuka perks up. “Really? Was he annoying?”

Keito hums. “I thought so, at the time.” He watches as Yuka swirls her ice cream around her bowl and bites down the urge to lecture her about wasting food. Another time.

“Being a little sibling is tough.” 

“Being an older sibling must be tough, too,” he retorts, and Yuka stops drawing designs in her bowl to look up at him. “How so?”

“Older siblings have a responsibility that us younger ones couldn’t understand. You want them to be independant and learn and grow, but you also want to protect them from harm.” Keito picks his spoon up again and finishes off his ice cream.

“What do you know about it, anyway?” Yuka retorts. Keito looks over her, at her uneven pigtails that Kuro had tried to help with, and wonders what it would have been like if he had a younger sister like her.

“It’s a lot like being a senpai, I think. I want my juniors to grow, but I don’t want to hinder them either. It’s the same for siblings, I think.” Keito thinks about the underclassmen he’s tried to help nurture in the last few months, from his unit mate, to his student council members, and everyone else. He’s tried his best to leave behind a good legacy.

Yuka sighs, going back to drawing swirls in her bowl. “I wish aniki was more like you. Keito-san is always smart about stuff.”

Keito smiles. “I don’t know if I would want to date your brother if he were more like me. Two serious, boring people together wouldn’t work out.”

Yuka drops her spoon to pout at him. “You aren’t boring, Keito-san! You are serious. But that’s not bad!”

Keito smiles at her enthusiasm. “Are you ready to go?”

\-----

When they get back, Keito sees Kuro eyeing the shopping bags first thing. “I know what you’re going to say--”

“‘It’s so easy to say no to her’, you said. ‘You shouldn’t spoil her so much’, you said.” Kuro’s teasing him, but there’s a smile on his face.

Keito sighs. “It’s not spoiling, exactly. She’s learning a valuable lesson.”

“What, that her cute face will get her whatever she wants?”

Yuka giggles. “I think aniki is jealous because Keito-san didn’t buy him anything.”

Kuro ruffles her hair. “Why would I be jealous? Come on now, go wash your hands and get ready for dinner.”

When Yuka has bounded up the stairs, Kuro makes his way over to Keito, wrapping his arms around him from behind and resting his head on his shoulder. “She wasn’t any trouble, was she?”

Keito relaxes back into Kuro, sighing. “No. She’s a good child, Kuro.”

There’s a few moments of silence between them before Keito decides to breaks it. “Perhaps this isn’t my place to say, but...do you ever consider maybe being less...protective of Yuka-chan?”

“No. What brings this up?” Kuro leans back and Keito turns around to face him. “Just that she brings it up, sometimes. It’s not a bad thing, Kuro. But sometimes you can be a little….too much.”

Kuro’s eyes narrow, and Keito can see him tense up. “You were right. It isn’t your place.”

Keito sighs, frustrated. Kuro is good at shutting down when he wants to be stubborn about something, and this is definitely something Kuro is going to be stubborn about. “I don’t mean any harm, Kuro--”

“Then you probably shouldn’t keep talking.” Kuro’s tone is short, and Keito knows he’s annoyed. 

The atmosphere is tense until they hear Yuka coming back down the stairs. She turns the corner just in time to see both of them trying to shake off the tension, an awkward air surrounding them. 

“Are you staying for dinner, Keito-san?” Yuka asks, curiously. She hasn’t seemed to notice to awkward air between them, which both of them are grateful for. 

“I...should probably go home. I have some things to attend to. I’m sorry.”

“Aww….okay Keito-san. Thank you very much for today!” Yuka bows and heads into the kitchen to start dinner. 

There’s an awkward silence between the both of them for a moment. “Can...I call you later? So we can talk?” Keito looks hopeful.

Kuro sighs and drags his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what we have to talk about.” A few more moments, and then Keito nods. “Okay. I’ll see you at school, then.”

\-----

“You look like hell, Hasumi-kun.”

Keito looks up from the paperwork he’s been pretending to work on for the last hour to see no other than Rei Sakuma standing in the doorway of the student council room. 

“What are you doing here?” Keito’s tone is short, as he has no patience for it today, since Kuro had been shutting him out since their small argument the night before. Even after Keito had apologized, Kuro had continued to give him the cold shoulder. This has majorly affected Keito’s productivity, as evidenced by the stacks of paperwork he still hasn’t completed.

“Ooh, someone’s upset today. Does this have anything to do with your little fight with Kiryu-kun?”

Keito’s eyes narrow, and he pushes the stack of paperwork away from him. “What would you know about that?”

Rei glides into the room, and then promptly flops down in a chair in front of Keito’s desk. “I can be nosy when I want to be, Hasumi-kun. Kiryu-kun is in my class, and he seemed angry today. Do you want to talk about it, old friend?”

Keito weighs his options, of telling Rei about his relationship problems, or he could try calling Eichi again….

He’ll take his chances here. 

“Kiryu is….stubborn. And I think I may have touched on a sensitive topic and now he’s closing off,” Keito starts.

Rei smiles, leaning in closer. “So, what was this ‘sensitive topic’?”

Keito takes his glasses off and runs his hand through his hair. Letting some of this off of his chest is helping him more than he thought it would. “His sister has been confiding in me lately, and the one thing she complains about a lot is that he’s overbearing--”

“So you thought it would be best to talk to him about it, did you?” Rei stares at Keito, and there’s something unreadable in his expression. 

Keito stares at the stack of paperwork. “I….thought maybe if I said something…”

“Ah, Hasumi-kun,” Rei sighs, leaning back in his chair. “You have no idea what it’s like to be a big brother who loves their sibling a lot.”

Keito sighs, and lays his head down on the table. “I’m an idiot, aren’t I?”

Rei chuckles. “For someone remarkably smart, you’ve always been bad at social cues.”

Keito lifts his head up and puts his glasses back on, fixing his hair. “How do I fix this?”

Rei hums, his fingers tapping the edge of the chair. “How do you think you should fix this?”

Keito thinks about his conversation this afternoon with Kuro, about his attempted apology. He sighs again. “I tried apologizing, but maybe I should have a talk with him and truly apologize.”

“Ah, you’re learning, Hasumi-kun. You’ll be good at this relationship thing yet.” Rei stands up, yawning as he turns to leave. “We should have conversations more than once every three months, Hasumi-kun.”

“Then you should stop making my life a pain, Sakuma.” Keito pulls his phone out as Rei leaves, sending a quick text to Kuro.


	5. And We're Facing Our Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuro and Keito have a talk.

Keito doesn’t want to have this conversation at school, so they make their way to Kuro’s house when the day is over. Yuka is staying the night at a friend’s house, so it’s the perfect opportunity to have this conversation. There’s still tension in the air on the walk home however, and Kuro still won’t look at Keito.

Keito removes his shoes at the door as he usually does, and the first thing he does after is bow deeply. “I want to apologize, Kuro. What I said was out of line.”

Kuro is silent for a moment, staring at Keito, and then he sighs. “Don’t bow like that, danna. Do you want some tea?”

Keito stands back straight, giving Kuro a confused look. “Yes?”

“Okay. Go sit down, I’ll bring it.”

Keito makes his way to the living area, sitting down by the table and folding his hands. He resists the urge to fidget while he waits for what seems like an eternity until Kuro brings in two cups of tea. 

Kuro sits across from Keito and again, there’s a long bout of silence while Kuro stares at his tea. Keito is just about to open his mouth, apologize again or anything to break the silence when Kuro speaks. “I’ve been kinda unfair, lately,” Kuro begins, still staring at his cup and watching the steam rise. “I shouldn’t have been so mad about what you said.”

Keito sighs, turning his cup twice before taking a drink. “I was sticking my nose into business when I should have known better.”

Kuro chuckles, finally meeting Keito’s eyes. “You’re good at that sometimes.”

Kuro clears his throat, and then continues. “It’s just been me and Yuka-chan for a long time. So when you brought something up she told you but she hadn’t told me, I got upset.”

“Rightfully so,” Keito adds, quietly. 

“I want her to be able to rely on me for everything. That’s what a big brother is for, ain’t it? To shoulder all of the burdens and responsibilities.”

Keito reaches over for Kuro’s hand and squeezes it gently. “You can’t be everything for her, Kuro.”

Kuro shrugs away, irritated. “I know that, dammit! But that doesn’t mean I can’t try.”

Keito folds his hands on the table, watching as Kuro’s expression fades from irritation to a hint of sadness. “I can’t pretend to understand what the situation between you and your sister is like, Kuro. The only thing I can do,” Keito straightens his back and looks Kuro in the eye, “as your boyfriend, is to be here for you.”

Kuro sighs, slumping. “Sorry I’ve been awful, Keito.”

Keito pushes his glasses up. “I’m...not great at relationships, I’ve been told. I’m bound to mess up. All I ask is that you let me know when I’m messing up instead of shutting me out.”

“I can do that,” Kuro says, and he scoots around the table until he’s next to Keito. “Watch tv with me and cuddle.”

Keito sighs. “If I must.”

Kuro grins. “As my boyfriend, you’re obligated.”

\-----

Keito is laying in Kuro’s bed later when Kuro comes back from getting ready for bed. Keito waits until Kuro has turned out the light and has crawled into bed with him when he speaks again. 

“I understand a little bit, you know. What being a big brother is like. I was...happy that Yuka-chan chose me to confide in. I just didn’t understand what that would mean for you.”

Kuro puts his arm around Keito’s waist, tugging him closer. “I’m happy you get along.”

Keito scoots closer still, soaking up Kuro’s warmth. “What’s bothering you?”

Kuro kisses the top of his head, closing his eyes. “It’s past your bedtime. You should sleep.”

Keito frowns, pulling back to look at him. “Kuro.”

Kuro sighs. “I know how you can be when you’re after something, and when you think you’re doing what’s best.”

Keito stares at Kuro through the darkness of the room, waiting for him to continue. 

“I forgave you for a lot, you know,” Kuro says quietly, and Keito’s heart feels like it’s crawled its way into his throat. 

“I know.”

“I’m not a good person, Keito. But I have to try for her.”

“Stop it,” Keito says, trying to keep his voice from wavering in anger.

“I’m not, Keito. Nothing’s gonna change--”

“Stop it,” Keito says again, louder. “You’re not a good person? That’s...that’s the most incredulous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You don’t have to pretend,” Kuro says, rolling over onto his back. “I accepted it when my mother died.”

Something in Keito’s chest burns hot at that, and Kuro can see that he’s upset before Keito crawls over him, smacking him in the chest with his palms. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for that, dammit!”

Kuro is taken aback for a moment. He’s never seen Keito this upset before. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t there. I can’t make up for that.”

Keito is silent at that, and Kuro braces himself for Keito to hit him again. It never comes. 

“We can’t change what’s happened in the past, Kuro,” Keito says quietly, causing Kuro to open his eyes and look up at him. “The only thing we can do is keep going and trying to atone. No one who loves you would ever wish such a heavy burden on you.”

Kuro reaches for Keito’s hand and their fingers entwine. He really wants to believe that. “It’s not that easy.”

“Try. For Yuka-chan. For me.” Keito’s eyes are determined, and Kuro remembers for a moment how easily he was able to fall in love with him, the man who’s supported him through everything.

Kuro squeezes his hand, sighing. “I can’t guarantee anything.”

Keito squeezes back. “It’s okay. We can’t all be perfect.”

Kuro laughs, pulling Keito down to crash their lips together. 

\-----

The sun is filtering through the window when Keito wakes up. Kuro is pressed up against him, his arms wrapped around Keito’s waist and for a few long moments everything is perfect.

One glance at the time on his phone ruins that.

Keito jumps out of bed, a mild panic settling in as he rushes to find his clothes. Kuro yawns from the bed, stretching. “W’time’sit,” he mumbles, reaching over blindly for his phone. 

“Entirely too late,” Keito says, pulling a shirt on. “School begins in five minutes.”

Kuro props himself up on his elbow, watching as Keito fumbles with his clothes. “Let’s skip today.”

Keito pauses, whipping around to glare at Kuro. He’s prepared to lecture him, but one look at Kuro’s sleepy smile, his mussed hair, and the way the blanket covers just enough to let his imagination run wild stops him in his tracks. For a moment, he considers it. Only a moment.

“We are not skipping school. Do you have any idea how much there is to do today? Where the hell is my tie?”

Kuro sits up, and Keito is momentarily distracted by the sheets falling just a little bit lower. “You folded all your clothes, remember? Dunno where you put your tie.”

Keito huffs. “What are you doing? Get dressed.”

Kuro slowly rolls out of bed, grabbing his own clothes and putting them on. “We could take my bike--”

“Absolutely not.” Keito finds his tie, throwing it around his neck. 

Kuro hums. “I could get us there in just a couple of minutes. Better than being 20 minutes late, isn’t it?”

Keito finishes tying his tie, then turns to face Kuro. He doesn’t have a shirt on, and his pants aren’t buttoned, and--back on track. “If either one of us so much as gets a scratch--”

“Won’t happen.” Kuro leans in for a quick kiss.

\-----

They make it to school unharmed, only a few minutes late, and Keito makes one last pass of his appearance in a mirror before he opens the door to class. Immediately, everyone’s eyes are on him.

“I was beginning to think you’d run off to elope, Keito,” Eichi calls out, smiling.

“You’re hilarious as usual, Eichi.” Keito makes his way to his seat, pointedly ignoring everyone else.

“Hasumi-kun, I’ve never seen you be late before,” Kaoru says, leaning forward.

“I don’t care to hear the opinion of someone who can’t show up to class half of the time, Hakaze.”

Kaoru sinks onto his desk. “Come on, Hasumi-kun, I was even here early today! I was ready to prove myself a good, hard-working student--”

“What girl told you that’s what she wanted?” Izumi scoffs, which prompts a small argument between them.

Keito glances over at Shu, who has been quietly glaring at him since he walked in. It’s nothing new, particularly, but Shu is not usually so open about it. “Is there a problem, Itsuki?”

Shu narrows his eyes. “Your tie is backwards.”

Keito’s face flushes and he quickly turns away, ripping his tie off to fix it as the rest of the class chuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kuro has no problems showing up late since 90% of this class doesn't show up at all


	6. If You're Wondering If I Want You To

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It gets a little bit spicy towards the end so I bumped the rating up again. I hope you all enjoy (and I hope this makes up for the last chapter!)

It’s on a nice day a few weeks later that Kuro invites Keito to go shopping with him and Yuka. “She wants your opinion on stuff,” Kuro tells him over the phone, and something about that makes Keito smile.

The first thing Kuro does when Keito comes over to meet up is wrap him in his arms and kiss him deeply. Keito can briefly hear Yuka making gagging noises in the background, but it’s swept away by the feeling of Kuro’s mouth pressing against his insistently. 

Keito’s face is red when Kuro pulls away, and Kuro can’t help but smile at the fact that he was the cause of it. “Wh-What was that for, you heathen? Learn to control yourself.”

“Yeah, please control yourself, aniki. That’s gross!” Yuka chimes in, hitting Kuro’s back with balled up fists.

“You look good. Really good. Couldn’t help it,” Kuro says, releasing Keito. Yuka immediately runs over, wrapping Keito in a hug. 

“You can’t hog him all the time, aniki,” she says, turning around to stick her tongue out at Kuro.

“Oh yeah? Watch me.”

“Both of you are incorrigible!”

\-----

They’ve gone to a few shops when Yuka decides it’s time to break for lunch. 

“Wait here, I’ll get us something,” Kuro tells them, ruffling Yuka’s hair (much to her chagrin) and squeezing Keito’s shoulder before taking off to find food.

Keito helps Yuka straighten out her hair, and she plops down next to him on the bench. “I was thinking about what we talked about, Keito-san.”

Keito’s a little afraid of this conversation, after what happened the last time, but he straightens his back and faces Yuka. “What conclusion have you reached?”

Yuka’s brow furrows, and Keito fights off the urge to laugh. It’s definitely a Kiryu family trait, as he’s seen Kuro’s brow furrow in the exact same way enough.

“I was talking to my classmate, and she said that her big brother would never spoil her as much as mine does. She said all he does is call her annoying and lock her out of his room. So I’m pretty lucky to have a big brother like mine, I think.”

Keito gives her a small smile. He really wants to pat her head, but he’s just fixed her hair, after all. “I think we’re both pretty lucky to have Kuro love us.” 

Yuka beams at him. “Let’s do something for him.”

“What did you have in mind?” He can see Kuro making his way back, food in hand. 

“Something so we can show aniki how grateful we are! Oh, but white day isn’t for awhile…” Yuka’s face drops, frowning.

“I don’t think we need a holiday for something like that. Leave it to me, I’ll come up with something.” Keito speaks quietly, as Kuro is about to walk up on them.

Kuro stops in front of them. Both his sister and his boyfriend have a guilty look on their faces. “Alright. What are you two up to?”

“N-Nothing!” Yuka chirps, a little too quickly. Keito glances over at her. “We were discussing her new shoes.”

Kuro snorts. “Both of you are awful at lying.”

Yuka gasps when she sees what Kuro is holding. “Aniki! Is that taiyaki?”

Kuro holds it up. “Yeah. Not sure you deserve it now, hiding things from me and all.”

Yuka pouts, folding her arms. “But I’ve been good! Really really good!”

Keito smiles at their antics. He knew from the beginning that dating Kuro was going to be an experience, but never once did he guess that dating Kuro meant having a little sister as well.

\-----

It’s been a long day. There’s a dreamfes coming up, and Kuro has been helping with costume requests day and night to help the handicraft club catch up. He called Yuka earlier to let her know he’d be home late tonight, and it’s well after dark by the time he leaves.

He’s also grumpy because Keito has been busy too, fielding student council requests, paperwork...they’ve barely had time to themselves in weeks and Kuro finds himself longing to hold his boyfriend for a little while, at least. 

He opens to door to his house, but it’s dark when he enters. He can hear whispers coming from the kitchen, so he doesn’t announce his presence just yet. It sounds like Yuka, possibly, but he doesn’t want to be too careful.

He turns the corner into the kitchen just as the light flips on. 

“Surprise!!”

The scene in the kitchen is...well, a mess to say the least. There’s dirty bowls and measuring cups on the counter, and sitting on the table, in the middle of it all, is a cake. 

Yuka runs over to hug him. The look of confusion is clear on Kuro’s face. “I didn’t think it was my birthday yet?”

Keito smiles. He and Yuka are wearing matching aprons, and both of them are covered in flour. “It’s not. Yuka-chan, tell him what it’s for.”

Yuka looks up from where she has her arms wrapped around Kuro. “It’s a thank you! For always being the best aniki, and always taking care of us.”

Yuka’s smile is radiant, and Kuro has to fight down the lump that’s risen in his throat. There are only two times a man can cry in his life, after all.

“Is this what you two were planning?”

Keito makes his way over, pressing a kiss on Kuro’s cheek. “Yes. Now Yuka-chan worked hard on this cake, and especially the decorating part, so come enjoy it.”

Kuro pulls both of them into a hug, and wonders when his life became so good.

\-----

It’s later that night when they’re alone in Kuro’s room that Kuro takes his time with Keito, mapping out every inch of his body and showing him just how appreciative he is in return.

He can’t stop kissing Keito afterwards, barely giving him time to breathe before he dives in for another kiss, and Keito presses his fingers into Kuro’s back and kisses back with everything he’s got.

“I love you,” Kuro says once they’ve calmed down. Keito’s face is pressed into Kuro’s neck, determined to be as close as possible. Keito looks up at him, and the look on his face, open and loving, is enough to make Kuro want to roll Keito onto his back and take him again. He settles instead for wrapping his arms around Keito and pulling him closer.

“I love you too,” Keito replies quietly. “That’s why….it hurts me to see you hurting. And knowing I can’t do anything to fix it, is….well, I’ve experienced that a lot.”

Kuro is quiet, running his hands up and down Keito’s back. “I know….she’d want me to be happy. I’m working on it. You help.”

Keito presses his face against Kuro’s neck, and then presses light kisses against it, trailing them down his neck to his shoulder. “Careful,” Kuro grunts. “You’re gonna make me want you again.”

Keito looks up at his through his eyelashes. His glasses came off ages ago, so Kuro’s face is mostly a blur, but Keito does his best to look seductive. “You always want me,” he chuckles lowly, and it sends a thrill through Kuro’s spine.

He pins Keito down to the bed, crawling over him, and the last thought in his head before he begins round two is that maybe, if this is happiness, than he can come to forgive himself through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for the kudos and comments, and for coming on me on this ride.


End file.
